Also, I received an email from Lisa Burks this evening, who has been doing detailed reports on Grand View, as well. She reported to me the mausoleum was opened for the first time since 2006. This was not widely known in advance, but a very nice surprise for visitors. Lisa said:

"It looks like there will be more regular visitations in the near future and they plan to have the mausoleum available too. I stopped by Edna and she was still decorated with the red silk rose and photo. I dusted her off and said hello from you and all her fans." - Lisa Burks

Here is a link to Lisa's photo of 'Edna' and her pictures taken today at Grand View.

The photo of Edna was actually left there by Edna fan, Mark McKenzie, in July 2004 (link). Lisa also has more reports here at Grand View Memorial Park Info.

I will post more reports when they come.(Photo: Lisa Burks, taken Mar. 30, 2008)

Update: April 11, 2008 -Grand View may open again in late May"Less than two weeks after hundreds of mourners were granted access to Grand View Memorial Park for the first time in 10 months, stakeholders in the troubled cemetery are planning another opening in late May." - Glendale News

Saturday, March 29, 2008

If you use Amazon, this concerns anyone who creates or buys limited run books on any subject matter, whether with a traditional publisher or self-published.

I know writers who have already, or planning to have books created by POD (Print on Demand). It is actually a cost savings for many publishers these days, who can create a small run book that otherwise would cost too much to produce. There are many of these printers available, who offer their books to sell through Amazon. But that appears to be changing right now, as Amazon would rather make the whole pie, instead of having a slice.

There is a 'buzz' in the Print on Demand world about how Amazon's owned BookSurge has been 'quietly' trying to get writers with POD books (printed by other companies) and currently selling on Amazon, to sign up with Amazon's BookSurge instead, or see their 'buy now' button "turned off" their Amazon book page.

"This will inevitably lead to less choice, less opportunities, and less royalties for p.o.d. writers," said Edward Smith, manager of YouWriteOn.Com. "It is also a red flag to the publishing industry in terms of how Amazon may use their influence on books from mainstream commercial publishing houses in the future." - from Edward Smith, YouWriteOn, posted by Graeme Neill, The Book Sellers__________________________

April 3, 2008 - Amazon threatening UK publishers for offering discounts on their books.From Publishing News: Amazon threat on direct selling Plus: UK fears over Amazon.com print on demand. Roger Tagholm reports "AMAZON HAS THREATENED publishers who sell direct at discount on their own websiteswith punitive action. PN understands that it has said that if the publisher continues, Amazon will take the selling price as the RRP and apply its terms of trading to that price. In other words, if Amazon receives a 50% discount from Penguin, for example, but Penguin is selling a £20 book for £15 on its website, Amazon willonly give Penguin £7.50, rather than £10." - more>

April 1, 2008 - Booktrade - "Amazon's move could be an attempt to castrate the small guy in favour of the big guys. Whether you are a large or small publisher or an author with a vested interest, you cannot simply ignore what is happening."

For the buyers who think all their books are shipped by Amazon?April 2, 2008 -"Ingram and Lightning Source Statement - "Yes, June, the Amazon 'Interested parties' statement released on Monday is very much a sales pitch aimed at their customers. What it fails to mention is that for quite some time Lightning Source Inc have been 'drop-shipping' the POD books ordered on Amazon. So when customers get those nice cardboard cartoned books, with the amazon logo emblazoned on it, delivered directly to their doorstep - it has all all been done by LSI." -from Podding Along Nicely, June Austin______________

Chaplin's publisher, Bodley Head was taken over by Random House. They are getting ready to "relaunch as an adult non-fiction imprint" under Random House.______________The following is about Amazon/BookSurge.

Here are a few passages from it:"Tuesday, April 1st, was the rumored deadline Amazon.com gave to some POD publishers to sign an agreement allowing their printing division, BookSurge, to print each publisher's book to be sold through Amazon, or risk having their "buy" buttons turned off on the Amazon.com website." (Two POD publishers who signed the contract are AuthorHouse/iUniverse and Lulu.)"Publishers, authors, and even book buyers were outraged by this apparent power-grab by Amazon. Attorneys and government officials are still studying the legality of their actions. How could they demand such a thing and what publisher in their right mind would agree to their ridiculous terms? While a band of POD publishers stayed together, refusing to sway to Amazon's demands, some did not."

Angela notes: "We are in possession of the Amazon contract and, while I'm sure AuthorHouse/iUniverse and Lulu negotiated special terms for themselves, I can tell you that the confidentiality clause in that contract is the tightest I've ever seen. Don't expect anybody at those firms to ever talk about what they had to give Amazon to keep their "buy" buttons turned on. It's been reported that some other publishers signed the contract as well and that others are still considering it, believing they have no choice."

Last week, the University of Pennsylvania Press contacted us, reporting they'd received the Amazon ultimatum, too. She said, "I work at a medium-sized university press, where most of our titles are conventionally printed via offset. However, Amazon called our director about two weeks ago, telling him that soon we would be required to use Booksurge."

Amazon going for huge discounts with the 'BookSurge printed books, but for you buyers, it is no deal. One company wrote:

"The majority of books (BookSurge) produced were defective: pages falling out, discolored covers, white splotches on the covers, etc. Of the 135 books I purchased, over 100 were defective. It was a huge embarrassment and headache for our organization."

As for the discounts, it could hurt every author, in the long run:"According to The Robinson-Patman Act of 1936 (or Anti-Price Discrimination Act), if Amazon forces publishers to offer them a 48% discount, this action may, by default, force publishers to offer all bookstores a 48% discount. Many small publishers simply can't afford to do this. If they sign the Amazon contract and, thus, then have to offer all bookstores a 48% discount, they may go out of business."

She reports a bit of good news:"Despite all of this, the good news is Amazon has not removed anymore "buy" buttons from POD publishers' books pages. Maybe, just maybe, after such a large public outcry, and perhaps after some consultations with their attorneys, they're realizing that this wasn't such a great idea after all."_________

WritersWeekly checked into this rumor recently because they did not believe it, and got this response back from a representative of Amazon/BookSurge, John Clifford, on March 26, 2008. The following is from Angela Hoy's WritersWeekly site):

"Mr. Clifford finally admitted that books not converted to BookSurge would have the "buy" button turned off on Amazon.com, just as we'd heard from several other POD publishers who had similar conversations with Amazon/BookSurge representatives.

Another comment Mr. Clifford made was that their eventual desire (Amazon/BookSurge) is to have no books from other POD publishers available on Amazon.com.

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING?!" - from Angela Hoy Writersweekly

From the same site this note:"As of Thursday (March 27, 2008), the "buy" buttons for the vast majority of PublishAmerica books were removed from Amazon.com. The books can now only be purchased by resellers."

And on Saturday, March 29th, from Writersweekly: "Whiskey Creek Press is a traditional publisher that uses POD technology. We were alerted by one of their authors that they appear to be the latest Amazon/BookSurge "buy" button victim. We checked and it appears numerous Whiskey Creek Press print books are now only available through resellers. The Kindle versions are, of course, still for sale directly through Amazon." - from Angela Hoy WritersweeklyAnd from PublishersWeekly:"Amazon's BookSurge mandate extends to traditional publishers as well as to online pod houses." - PublishersWeekly

Also, from the Wall Street Journal Website 'Amazon Tightens Grip' (March 28, 2008):"Amazon's decision means that any of those publishers who want their books sold on the giant Web site will have to use BookSurge. Not only will that squeeze rivals like Lightning Source, it will reduce publishers' bargaining power.

Publishers will "have to abide by Amazon's pricing," said Bob Young, CEO of Lulu Inc, a print-on-demand publisher based in Raleigh, N.C. Mr. Young said he believed BookSurge's prices to be "slightly higher" than other printers. An Amazon spokesman declined to comment on that issue." - Wall Street Journal

"Smith added that authors and publishers of POD books who choose not to have their books printed by BookSurge could still have their books sold directly through Amazon by participating in the company's Advantage Program, which costs $29.95 per year plus 55% of the list price of each book." - Computerworld

If you are a writer in the process of having a book printed on demand, that offers Amazon as a bookseller for your POD book, you should look into this now before pressing forward. There are articles on the web about it, but since we don't offer our book through any site, except through Leading Ladies, I just learned about this very troubling development._________

Criterion is releasing three silent films by Japanese film maker, Yasujiro Ozu, in April 2008. These three silent films included: "I Was Born, But..." (1932), "Passing Fancy" (1933), and "Tokyo Chorus" (1931).

Ozu made silent films until 1936, the same year Charlie Chaplin released his last silent picture "Modern Times" (1936).

Reviewer wrote:"...the films released in this collection cover a portion of Ozu's silent career, spanning from 1931-1933. Ozu, along with the majority of the Japanese film industry, was slow and somewhat hesitant of the transition into talkies, feeling that emotions and plot could be best conveyed with expressions and actions, not dialogue. His first sound film was not released until 1936, the same year as Chaplin's final silent masterpiece, Modern Times. These late silents mark Ozu's transition into social criticism as he both blatantly and subtly expresses his discontent with the culture of pre-WWII Japan." - D. Yarbrough

From All Things Considered, March 27, 2008 report, you can hear the earliest known recording ever made. Created by Frenchman Edouard-Leon Scott, it is a few seconds of the words: "Au clair de la lune" recorded on blacken paper. more>

Friday, March 28, 2008

I added a new set of links called News Items of Interest. It is near the bottom of the link list on the right. Some of the current links include: the end of Polariod film, tons of plastic (like toothbrushes, lighters, even computers) washing up on Midway Island in the Pacific and the oldest known recorded voice from 1860. More links will follow.

Also, watch your emails about your orders. Next shipments out, April 4th. And don't forget the post sometime Monday about a recipe of Edna's.

From Kravis Center:“Charlie Chaplin – A Life. In Concert” is a brilliant new musical Masterwork by award-winning Recording Artist and Composer, David Pomeranz. Through its critically-acclaimed musical score, David takes us on a journey of the life of Chaplin, the controversial genius of the Silent Screen who lit up the world with his much-beloved character, “The Little Tramp."

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Czech jazz artist, Emil Vicklický, has release the new CD "Emil Vicklický Trio: Ballads and More" from Arta Records. It includes ballads from Cole Porter, Saul Chaplin and Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times Theme, Smile (lyrics by Geoffrey Parson and John Turner).

Monday, March 24, 2008

Have a silent film, but don't like the musical score?Visit Ben Model's site called altscore.com. His offerings are only a few right now, but he is working toward creating alternate music scores for a growing list of silent films.

For just a few dollars, you can have a fresh new score to play along with your silent film. For more information, visit this link.

All of Ben Model's scores are copyrighted and should not be duplicated.

Sunday, March 23, 2008

March 29, 2008 - Appalachian Ballet - Knoxville, Tennessee - The Bijou Theatre - The spring time performance of the Appalachian Ballet will feature a segment called "With Chaplin" during their 90 minute program on Saturday afternoon and evening, March 29th, 2008. more>

"...five very different works on the 90-minute program — the classical “Giselle Act II,” “With Chaplin,” the modern piece “Into the Depths,” the classical “Quiet Blush” and the music of RobinElla... “There’s the physical stamina, and the ability to switch gears so quickly, that’s really needed,” Morton said. “Going from a calm ‘Giselle,’ with that sort of quiet repose, to all of the sudden you’re 1930s Charlie Chaplin characters..." - from The Daily Times

Friday, March 21, 2008

Mr. Davis kindly sent us this link to a recent two-part video news story on KMTR (Eugene, Oregon) about Lon Davis and his new book "Silent Lives" (released February 2008.)

On the Eugene news site under Videos, the stories and news video are listed under the titles, Eugene author shares history of silent films:"Silent, but worth preserving"and "The Lost Art of Silent Movies."

Update: KMTR news reports have been removed from the server, but the Eugene article is still available to read, more at Silents are Golden.

UPDATE! - Here is Lon Davis Silent Lives video!

MAY 7, 2008- I found this syndicated clip of Lon Davis with Kelli Warner from an April 9th interview with Davis. more>

"It was great to hear that Grand View Memorial Park will open again — even if for one day. And the 40-or-so community volunteers, including Boy Scouts, who rallied behind the cause and volunteered to staff the park are to be commended for their efforts.

But the cemetery’s operators can’t stop there, and expect that the city, or anyone else, is going to come to the rescue this time to keep it open longer." - Glendale News

Here is a link to the Glendale News of the full letter on Grand View. more>Grand View will be open for one day on March 30, 2008 between the hours of 12-4PM.

(This article will be up for free 14 days, starting the day it was originally released on the web.)

Friday, March 14, 2008

Just a note to fans with orders. Check your emails for the latest information about your order.

Next week is springbreak in these parts. It doesn't mean much to us, since we are self-employed, but I will be doing some projects next week that need to be done. So I will do my next mailing of books March 21, 2008.

That £3 UK magazine just became more expensive, as the dollar continues to fall and Gold hits over $1000 per ounce (for the very first time).

Checking the current exchange rates that US consumers actually pay for UK pounds or euro is not good these days. Many of the news articles list the rates banks pay for money. That is not what consumers pay, we pay much more.

Today, depending on who you exchange with, it is running between $2.21 to $2.31 to buy one UK pound. (It can be higher, but very few lower.)

I did check the rate to see how the SG book is doing in pounds, and actually, it is running a bit cheaper now for a UK fan to buy SG, due to the falling dollar.

I will know in the coming weeks, though, if I have to increase the overseas shipping. It is basically right on, at the moment. May 2008, the post office will start charging their new rates.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Also, (if you haven't done it already) check out the Media Room at the TCM website. There you will find hundreds of film clips that have been seen over the years on Turner Classic Movies. Click on browse to reach some of the silent film clips.

For Chaplin fans, there are film clips featuring Chaplin listed under SILENTS and ORIGINALS. And listed under SHORT, one of my favorite series, the FitzPatrick Traveltalks series. This series has some of the earliest color films from world locations. Lots there for many taste.

Few Chaplin and Brownlow highlights:• The Circus (1928) - Charlie with the monkeys on the tight rope.

• Matt Groening comments about The Circus and Charlie Chaplin

• Clips from City Lights, The Gold Rush and The Kid.

• Daniel Taradesh comments about Charlie Chaplin's film clips on the Oscars.

Tuesday, March 11, 2008

After months of being closed, Grand View gates are planned to be unlocked FOR A DAY on Sunday, March 30, 2008.

"Friends and family members of those buried at Grand View Memorial Park will soon have their first chance in more than seven months to visit their loved ones at the troubled cemetery after a Superior Court judge on Monday approved a tentative public access plan.

The plan, which attorneys involved in a series of legal actions against the cemetery signed off on, envisions up to 40 volunteers staffing the park from noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 30." - Glendale News

Again: Grand View plans to be open Sunday, March 30, 2008 - from noon to 4PM.

"The one-time opening will be treated as a trial run, but if all goes smoothly later this month, it could lead to regular monthly visitations, said attorney David Baum, who represents cemetery operator Moshe Goldsman... Unlike previous openings, visitors are asked to proceed in their vehicles through the cemetery gates instead of stopping to get information. Once parked, volunteers will direct visitors to informational literature or deliver it themselves, Baum said. " - Glendale News

Monday, March 10, 2008

All things Considered"The Little Tramp: Frequently Down, Never Out" from their in character series. Program by Bob Mondello. Broadcast February 11, 2008. Program 8:20 minutes. For longtime Chaplin fans, this short program offers nothing new, but a recap about Chaplin's character. LINK

Sunday, March 09, 2008

I had a backward fall a little while back that is causing some problems just sitting in front of the computer these days. So, instead of so must computer stuff lately, I have been spending time away, which includes watching some great documentaries currently on Link TV.

With so much of everything we read and hear today being filtered by a handful of corporations, Link TV is one of the very few independent stations left.

Included in this series are The Corporation, Orwell Rolls in His Grave, Burning Our Future, Propaganda and Politics, The Planet, Stealing Democracy and many more. With it being an election year, people should pay attention and take a peek at some of these films.

Living in an area where forest are (and have been) harvested heavily for a century, I can understand how the people of West Virginia must feel, as shown in the film Burning Our Future.

When you see whole mountains and forest being destroyed and being re-built into a man-made grasslands (changing the landscape forever, polluting fresh water, etc.) just to get coal to burn for cheap electrical power, it might make you look at your cellphone charger or microwave differently. Our world runs on electricity, but we need to see where is it is coming from and what it is doing to others.

I have visited locations where mountains have been destroyed in the mining industry in the western states. It is not new to see, but very sad we haven't become smart enough yet, not to do this sort of wholesale destruction.__________

Now I know this post has nothing to do with silent films, but I have to say, one of great pleasures I had in meeting Lita, was she really cared about all this stuff too. We use to talk about all this and much more. It is just one of many reasons I really miss her. I am continuing to work on a project for her, that I plan to launch this spring.

KoreaSejong Center for the Performing Arts - SeoulHello! Chaplin Original Film FestivalSame program from 2003 at the London Royal Festival Hall, which has toured several countries. Includes Chaplin's feature films and film shorts.check site for dates and times

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

"I'll make one more picture... "I had an email today from one of our longtime fans about Charlie and his knighthood, which happen on this date on March 4, 1975. Here is the link to the BBC website for ON THIS DAY.

Monday, March 03, 2008

We had a very nice wave of new orders for The Sea Gull that came in since Sunday night and carried into this morning. So many, in fact, I just placed a new order in for books to be printed to help fill up the stock again. (I still do have some books in stock, just trying to stay ahead of it.)

Because of so many new orders in the last few hours, I will do my planned shipping on Tuesday, instead of today. This way it gives me time to confirm addresses, and take one trip to the post office (which helps me save a bit on gas too, with the prices shooting up locally).

Special thanks to everyone for helping support this project! Watch your emails for more about your order. Other book orders in shipping now, should be arriving soon.

Latest updates on Edna Purviance's sites, related Charlie Chaplin news and items of interest, with a sampling of my other interests. Currently working on Edna's family bio. Draft is finished, and onto the editor stage. More to come.

Charlie Chaplin DVDs

Comparison Review of the Mutual DVD Collections

Charlie Chaplin Books

Collecting Chaplin books? Check out our list and database

Hollywood Series

Kevin Brownlow and David Gill - While still available on VHS from private collections, The Hollywood Series Collection SHOULD BE on DVD, but due to copyrights, controlled by studios, etc. it is being held-up. Great series that should be saved.

Adel Gance's Napoléon and Revisiting England

Morgan vs. Morgan

Finding the alias 'Morgan Hill'

The Sea Gull "A Woman of the Sea" by Linda Wada - Charlie Chaplin's lost film production - 1926

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR DETAILS! Film starring Edna Purviance, story and direction by Josef von Sternberg: "The look of the film, revealed in these marvellous photographs, makes it all the more tragic that it was destroyed." - Kevin Brownlow, Silent Film Historian, London

Adventure Films - 2014 WAR Series

with Garen & Murray Ewing discuss 10 war films for this latest series.

Lita Hill: Apr. 1933-Jan. 2008

Edna Purviance's Grand Niece has died - see January 21, 2008 post. About Lita's interview shown in Hollywood: "...remarkable interviews with Edna's great niece, herself quite the interesting lady. A nontraditional view of Edna, who did NOT pine away and die after her affair with Chaplin ended, but went out and lived a good full life and married the man of her dreams. I hope this one gets some walking money."

Discovered Films with Edna!

Edna Purviance's Private Life! See January 17th, 2007 special post!

Jack Squire's films part of FDR Documentary

PBS Producer, John Schwally, will be using some of Jack Squire's discovered films for upcoming documentary about FDR. (Jack was Edna's husband.)